Alan Pardew would be forgiven a lot if his team were set-up to score more goals - but only time will tell as we head into the new campaign

They have to. They have little choice. If any of us lived in a realm close to the real world, then madness would ensue.

We all pretend that things are going to be better. That our team, the one we support, is on the verge of doing something really special.

Even if all evidence points to another season of abject averageness.

Those who have chosen, or have been chosen, to follow Newcastle United through thick, thin, and thinner, can only get by on the fibs they tell to each other.

“This will be our season.” “We are going to win a cup.” “Every position in the team will be filled with a player who actually plays in that position.” “Our striker, the one with the pot belly and aversion to shooting, is about to turn into Gerd MÜller.”

They rarely come true. But if we don’t convince ourselves of such nonsense then none of us would go back.

And where would the fun be in that?

It’s the kind of thing Toon Army foot-soldiers come up with around this time of the year. They don’t believe it. Not really. But like all of us, a little white (and black) lie to ourselves every so often helps keep the pain away.

I’ve lost count of the number of times on those dry trains back from London after a defeat when the fans, in between sipping their Ribena, which seems to be such a favourite on those long non-alcohol journeys back to the North East, have had a conversation that has gone something like this.

“I wouldn’t mind if we lost and had given it a go.” Quickly followed by; “In fact, I wouldn’t mind losing every game as long as we played attacking football.”

I don’t know what they put in Ribena these days . . .

Last one first. That is obviously nonsense, but it’s a line trotted out by many a desperate Newcastle fan after a chastening defeat in the capital.

Who really in their right mind would take weekly defeats just as long as their team went with a good old 4-2-4?

That’s a lie. Albeit one that comes from a good place.

However, I genuinely believe that many sins would be forgiven, and I’m talking here about manager and team as a whole, if Newcastle United were set up to be a lot more attacking next season.

Okay, so that’s the bleeding obvious, but if Alan Pardew wants to win back the goodwill of fans, then he’s really got to send out his teams to, as they say, have a go when it all begins again in August.

We are all enjoying this World Cup because most countries have gone into games with a positive attitude.

England have just recorded their worst ever performance in the tournament, however, at least Roy Hodgson’s teams were designed to attack and, you know, to score.

The fact they didn’t is down to the fact, and it is a fact, that the English players aren’t quite good enough to be Italy and Uruguay. Any manager, including Hodgson, gets something of a pass if he is seen to be an attacking coach.

And by that I don’t mean name four strikers, two wingers and, just for show, a single centre-half. You only do that if you are Ossie Ardiles. And the thing about Ossie is that he rarely gets any real criticism from Newcastle or Tottenham fans because his team were exciting and did attack.

The problem was he thought defending was an archaic proposition. To be fair, he stuck to his principles right up until he was sacked after the tenth 6-5 defeat in a row.

From where we sit right now, I do fear for Newcastle. They need a lot of players and only two, one of them a kid from Spain’s second division, have arrived.

But no matter what does happen over the next two months, when things begin against Manchester City at home, I want to see a team put out trying to beat the champions rather than contain them.

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